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“I can’t wait to get married,” Charlotte said in a wistful voice. “Just knowing that I’m marrying my other half will be so comforting. To know that no matter what he’ll have my back and I’ll have his—” Her voice faded away. There was such hope in her voice that it made Fancy’s heart clench.
Olivia reached out and squeezed Charlotte’s hand. As always, Charlotte was the dreamer, the one who believed in the goodness of everyone and that dreams really did come true. Fancy believed in those things too, but she now knew the dark side of the dream. Happy endings didn’t always come your way, even when you found your Prince Charming. Sometimes your life exploded all around you when you least expected it, leaving you to pick up the shattered pieces. Fancy knew she didn’t have any of the answers about love. The one thing she did know for certain was that if she ever found it again, she would hold on to it for all she was worth.
“Life goes on. Even when your heart is breaking, life doesn’t stop so you can catch your breath. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving.” Case Duvall
Chapter Three
Case navigated his car through the congested downtown Savannah area. Even on a weeknight, there was traffic. He loved the energy of the city—the unique southern vibe of his hometown. It pulsed with liveliness and romance. Whether he was walking in the historic district amongst all the stately mansions or strolling along the Riverwalk, he felt as if he was planted right where he belonged. The Spanish moss draped Oak trees. The horse-drawn carriages. The amazing e
ating establishments. There was no place on earth Case Duvall would rather live in the entire world. Savannah flowed in his blood. Its charm captivated him.
At the moment he was en route to a supper club with Meryl.
“I’m so excited about this jazz band,” Meryl gushed. “It’s quite a treat for me to go out on the town on a weeknight.”
Case smiled over at his date. Meryl was always so agreeable and pleasant. He was beginning to wonder if it was one big act. No matter what he said or suggested, Meryl was always one hundred percent agreeable. It was a clear departure from the Meryl he’d grown up with. That version of Meryl had been a sour puss and a bully. Fancy had always been her target of choice.
He felt his chest tighten at the thought of Fancy. As a child she’d been as pretty and picture perfect as any little girl could be. Although he’d been in the grade above her, everyone had known Francine “Fancy” Tolliver. With her blonde ringlets, cornflower blue eyes and stylish clothes, she’d been the girl all the boys had been crushing on. Although he’d tried to resist her charms, once high school had arrived, Case had been smitten. Like the rest of his peers. It wasn’t until his senior year that they’d started dating. He’d been reluctant since she’d been one of his sister’s best friends. It had almost felt too close for comfort, but resisting the allure of Fancy Tolliver had proved to be impossible.
Even when they had gone their separate ways during college, Fancy had always been in the forefront of his mind. And she’d told him that one day they would get married. She’d been positive about it. After graduation he’d come back to Savannah to find that Fancy had dropped out of college and was working as a model for local companies. He’d been driven back into her orbit like a moth to a flame. They had taken up where they’d left off. Five years later he’d proposed to her in a magical, romantic way right down by the waterfront in front of the river boats. Through tears and shouts of surprise, Fancy had joyfully agreed to become his wife. It had been the single best moment of his life.
His family had been thrilled about the prospect of Fancy becoming Mrs. Case Duvall. Likewise, Fancy’s parents, June and Barrett, had been over the moon about their engagement. Everything had seemed so perfect.
As if on auto-pilot he drove toward downtown Savannah, quickly finding a parking spot near the supper club. He felt slightly guilty about thinking so deeply about Fancy when he was on a date with another woman. It wasn’t as if he could control his thoughts! If he could, he’d make sure to keep Fancy out of them.
As soon as he parked, Case stepped out of his sleek Mercedes and quickly moved toward the passenger side of the vehicle. He opened the door and reached for Meryl’s hand to help her out. As Meryl stepped out she brushed up against his chest. She looked up at him expectantly. Some instinct told him that she wanted a kiss. Although they had kissed several times, Case had to admit that he’d felt nothing romantic or stirring about kissing Meryl. That simple fact made him wonder about a myriad of things. Meryl was attractive and pleasant. She could hold her own in a conversation and she never complained. She seemed to be a God-fearing woman who wanted the same things in life as he did—a partner to walk through life with, a house full of kids, a wonderful relationship with the Lord and a nice house to fill up with family and friends.
Yet he still didn’t have any romantic feelings toward her. Maybe the chemistry just wasn’t there.
Maybe you can’t fall for one woman because you’re still in love with Fancy.
He let loose with an involuntary groan. He took her hand and began walking with her down River Street. His stomach twisted as they passed by the site of his proposal to Fancy. If a million years passed by, he wasn’t sure that he could ever walk past the River Walk and not think about that monumental moment. Or the joy etched on Fancy’s face when he’d asked her to be his bride.
Meryl swung her gaze toward him. “Is everything okay?” she asked, her face creased with worry.
“Sure. I’m good. I was just thinking about a huge mistake I made. It’s fine though,” he said. “The situation has been handled.” Fancy had been a huge mistake. Throughout their relationship he’d made excuses for her impulsive and immature decisions. The times she’d been vain and selfish he’d ignored it. On the few occasions when he had called her out, she’d used tears to win him over. Each time he’d felt guilty about saying anything to upset her since she was a kind and sensitive woman. He had been head over heels in love with her. And now he had to wonder if she’d really ever loved him.
The sounds of jazz music blared from inside the supper club. Case tapped his fingers to the music, enjoying the lively beats. He held the door open for Meryl and they stepped inside the dimly lit club before being whisked to a table close to the stage. After perusing the menu, they ordered their meals, along with a bottle of white wine. Case looked around the club, taking in the festive atmosphere and the sharply dressed clientele. He stuffed down a pang of longing for simpler times when this place had been his haven.
There were memories everywhere. Sometimes it felt as if Fancy was in the very air he breathed. He couldn’t stop living or enjoying or appreciating the things he loved simply because life hadn’t gone according to plan. He loved jazz music. Always had, always would. And tonight he was going to have a good time with Meryl. He needed to put Fancy in the past where she belonged.
The waiter came and took their dinner order. Case ordered the shrimp jambalaya while Meryl chose the crab cakes and wild rice. Case selected a fine bottle of champagne for them to enjoy. He wanted to celebrate tonight. He was stepping out on a limb and embracing his independence. Part of that meant he was no longer harboring any dreams of reconciling with Fancy. It just wasn’t possible. He wasn’t a man who could deal with such massive betrayal. Loving someone didn’t mean you should be played for a chump.
As the lively music flowed over him, Case felt slightly guilty about Meryl. He prayed that she wasn’t getting any grand ideas about the two of them. He was just having fun at the moment and getting over a failed engagement. It would be a long time before he was ready for anything serious. At some point he needed to let Meryl know how he felt. It was only fair to be completely honest with her.
“Enjoying it?” Case asked Meryl, leaning toward her so she could hear him above the music.
“Very much so,” Meryl said with a smile.
Case moved his arm on the table, inadvertently knocking his fork to the ground. He bent down and picked it up, then cast a quick glance around for their server.
“I’m going to look for our waiter so I can get a new fork,” Case said, standing up and placing his napkin on the table. “I’ll be right back.” Meryl nodded agreeably. Case stuffed down a slight feeling of annoyance. For once he would enjoy seeing Meryl express some emotion other than placid agreeableness. Once again he wondered if this was her true self or if she was playing a role for him.
Stop it, he chided himself. You’re just looking for a way for this relationship to crash and burn so you can go back to mooning over Fancy.
As Case moved towards the back of the club and walked outside to the hallway, he stopped abruptly in his tracks. Coming toward him down the hall was a man he’d hoped to never cross paths with again. Tall and dark-haired with olive skin, this man represented everything that Case despised in this world. Treachery. Disingenuousness. Deceit.
He felt anger surge up inside of him. Marc Cabron. The instrument of his misery. The man who’d become involved with his fiancé. The man who’d fallen in love with her.
